Hurricane Milton dey approach Florida, and e dey expected to make landfall as a powerful Category 3 storm by Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. As of Tuesday morning, Hurricane Milton weaken slightly to a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, but forecasters say e fit strengthen back to Category 5 before landfall.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis don expand state of emergency declaration to 51 counties and urge residents to prepare for potential power outages, restock hurricane kits, fill their gas tanks, and know their evacuation zones. More than a dozen Florida counties dey under mandatory evacuation orders, and DeSantis suspend tolls across central and west Florida to make travel easier.
The National Weather Service warn of possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay and flash and river flooding from 5 to 10 inches of rain in mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches in some places. Tampa International Airport announce say dem go suspend flights at 9 a.m. Tuesday and reopen “when it is safe to do so”.
President Joe Biden approve emergency declaration for Florida and order federal assistance to supplement response efforts. The Florida Division of Emergency Services partner with Uber to provide free rides to and from shelters as residents plan to evacuate.
This storm be the second major hurricane to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast in less than two weeks, following Hurricane Helene which kill over 200 people across six states. University of Florida officials announce say dem go close offices and cancel classes from Wednesday to Thursday due to the storm.
